Ok im starting school at the end of august just registered for classes. Im going to a JR college first then Im going to transfer. I really want to do computer science I love computers. Me and my frined are both doing the same major we work on computers and talk bout computer all the time so. But to transfer to the college im going to. I have to take CAL 1, 2, 3, and 4 and I suck at calculus.

So anybody here that have a computer major can give me some advice? Should I jsut try and work my ass off and see if I can do it.. Won't have social life in college. Or should i Change my major to Computer information technology. Which I am really thinking about doing. I really want to do computer science but That math will kill me.

So if any one has ther major in computer science how hard were the classes. and just your experience?

BS in computer engineering here. Which in my opinion is a mix between software and electrical engineering.

Get all your math reqs done at a junior college. Universities are just straight up harder. The school I went to after junior college had some damned hard math classes. Blew my mind really. Being computer science you'll have more classes that focus on the computer side versus my engineering side, but either way the classes won't be easy. I had a many a long nights in school, because engineering classes are just hard. While my friends were out partying or at games, I was stuck in my house with my face in a textbook.

... you do like/are willing to learn programming right, btu? That's a big part of a computer science major.

Honestly when you find yourself with a job you will see that a lot of code monkeys are people with computer science degrees because the degree leans heavily towards the programming side. While people with computer engineering and software engineering find themselves bumped up to more managerial type work much much faster than computer science majors.

I recommend going the engineering route versus the basic computer science route any day. You'll have a job that is more diverse and you will go home with a bigger paycheck. Engineering will be harder though. A good bit harder in my opinion. I worked my ass off during college and came out with a 3.88 cumulative GPA. There's a lot of engineering majors who won't/can't get that high. It takes work.

... you do like/are willing to learn programming right, btu? That's a big part of a computer science major.

Honestly when you find yourself with a job you will see that a lot of code monkeys are people with computer science degrees because the degree leans heavily towards the programming side. While people with computer engineering and software engineering find themselves bumped up to more managerial type work much much faster than computer science majors.

I recommend going the engineering route versus the basic computer science route any day. You'll have a job that is more diverse and you will go home with a bigger paycheck. Engineering will be harder though. A good bit harder in my opinion. I worked my ass off during college and came out with a 3.88 cumulative GPA. There's a lot of engineering majors who won't/can't get that high. It takes work.

See that's my big fear with Engineering for me... I'm thinking about going Environmental Engineering(No I'm not a Hippy) or possibly industrial engineering, but man with 2 kids, and 2 Jobs right now blah... It might take me 4.5-5 years but I'm not going to settle for Business and sure as hell aint majoring in Psychology.

... you do like/are willing to learn programming right, btu? That's a big part of a computer science major.

Honestly when you find yourself with a job you will see that a lot of code monkeys are people with computer science degrees because the degree leans heavily towards the programming side. While people with computer engineering and software engineering find themselves bumped up to more managerial type work much much faster than computer science majors.

I recommend going the engineering route versus the basic computer science route any day. You'll have a job that is more diverse and you will go home with a bigger paycheck. Engineering will be harder though. A good bit harder in my opinion. I worked my ass off during college and came out with a 3.88 cumulative GPA. There's a lot of engineering majors who won't/can't get that high. It takes work.

See that's my big fear with Engineering for me... I'm thinking about going Environmental Engineering(No I'm not a Hippy) or possibly industrial engineering, but man with 2 kids, and 2 Jobs right now blah... It might take me 4.5-5 years but I'm not going to settle for Business and sure as hell aint majoring in Psychology.

I have a double major... also in psychology. With a minor in mathematics.

The Mathematics i can understand or even physics or Chemistry but what the deuce is with Psychology? Was it for Industrial Organizational psychology? OR! is it more geared towards how to manipulate the higher-ups to be ok with Adding a few thousand bucks to a project?

I started out as a psychology major, but switched to computer engineering just because I felt like it. I went back a semester later and added psychology back to my plan. I believe psychology was helpful overall with understanding and working with people. The psych program at the school I went to had a two semester statistics & research methods class. That stats class was more useful than the math department stats class by far.

Hardest class I ever took?
American Literature during the winter mini semester. Two weeks that covered an entire class. I've never read so much crap in my entire life as I did those two weeks.

One of the coolest and most interesting classes I took?
Nonverbal communication. Basically how to read body language.

See I would like to Major in Something in Engineering, only time and job market will tell what I will fall into... My Step-Father is trying to push me into more Petroleum Engineering since he told me they make WAYY to much money to be called engineers(plus he told me once I figure out how an actual "rig" is set up it's all down hill from there) and possibly get an Associates(maybe double major) in Communication so that I could talk to people due to if I ever encountered my.. Antithesis I could pursued him to go stick their head under water and take a deep breath.

Pro tip: Most employers these days don't give a damn about degrees. They want experience.

Save yourself the money from college, intern or get a job in your desired field, then when you have something going, focus on your degree. If you go for a degree first, you will just end up with a very expensive, 4+ year piece of paper, with no job to show for it.

I will laugh as they overwhelm our enemies in a flurry of spotted banana hammocks.

Pro tip: Most employers these days don't give a damn about degrees. They want experience.

Save yourself the money from college, intern or get a job in your desired field, then when you have something going, focus on your degree. If you go for a degree first, you will just end up with a very expensive, 4+ year piece of paper, with no job to show for it.

I can see that. But alot of employers just want to see that piece of paper!!

I agree that most employers want to see that piece of paper. I strongly suggest you go through with the education. One reason employers do like that you have a degree regardless of what it is in, is that it shows one that you have work ethic to get the degree, and two, that you are capable of learning. Most jobs you will go into you will find that you are learning proprietary skills and tools, so being able to learn efficiently is very important, and a degree shows that you are capable of that.

Also, don't forget that although you don't necessarily need a degree to get a great job, most often employers base their pay grades on them. I have worked with many people over the years that are older, more experienced, and had more seniority than myself, yet I earned more solely because I had a degree and they did not. Employers know that people without degrees typically have to be less selective with their opportunities, so they know that most of the time they can pay someone without a degree less. Someone with a degree however they know they typically have to pay more since that person spent a small fortune on their education in order to earn more. Hell, my tuition alone cost about $100K for a Bachelor's degree.

In regards to the Computer Science program, as many here mentioned, and from my personal experience in a Technical University, it will have a strong focus on programming. This is why math is so important. If you enjoy programming then this is probably a good option for you, but if not you are in for a tough ride. I have been working in I.T. all of my life, and it started as a hobby when I was probably 10 years old or younger. I knew quickly on that I hated programming, and I learned just enough to get myself by when I can't find the right tool for a problem. I know enough to build something myself if I have to, or to communicate what I need to someone else to build for me if it is more efficient.

One tip I will give regarding Information Technology is that Information Technology is the business application of technology, or aligning technology strategy with business strategy. This means that an I.T. program is going to be much less technical than something like computer engineering or computer science. In a way, most IT programs sort of expect you to have a good technical knowledge going in, so they focus primarily on the business side of I.T.. In my curriculum I took courses such as IT Project Management, International Project Management, etc. There was a lot of writing involved but I only had to take 3 math classes; Statistics, Math Analysis 1, and Math Analysis 2. MA1 was basically a recap of high school math to me, but MA2 at my school was Calc 1 and 2 compressed into a single semester, so pretty tough. However I have not had any trouble finding work, and I live in one of the toughest job markets in the country (Detroit).

So in conclusion, definitely go to college, and do what suits you the best. A lot of people base their decision on salary reviews and course maps, but never think of what comes after. Think about this. Do you like to work alone, or with people? Do you like dealing with customers? Do you like to travel? Can you handle being on call (very common in IT, not so much in development). Do you want to sit at a desk and write code all day? There are plenty of other questions to ask yourself, but at the end of the day try to picture yourself 10 years from now, and what it would be like based on your choice now. Then pick what you think will make you the happiest.

Yea degrees are still VERY important. There are some people who get lucky and start messing with computers at a young age. Later in life they get an opportunity to show their skills to someone who matters and they get hired with no degree. Good for them, but this is very rare. Generally takes you or a family member knowing someone.

Generally, companies won't even mess with you if you don't have a degree with many jobs. I have known several people who don't have a degree, and had a very hard time getting the jobs they wanted. There are concrete benefits that generally come with a person who has a degree, and employers like those benefits because it generally makes for a smarter, more competent, and all around better employee.

I agree that most employers want to see that piece of paper. I strongly suggest you go through with the education. One reason employers do like that you have a degree regardless of what it is in, is that it shows one that you have work ethic to get the degree, and two, that you are capable of learning. Most jobs you will go into you will find that you are learning proprietary skills and tools, so being able to learn efficiently is very important, and a degree shows that you are capable of that.

Also, don't forget that although you don't necessarily need a degree to get a great job, most often employers base their pay grades on them. I have worked with many people over the years that are older, more experienced, and had more seniority than myself, yet I earned more solely because I had a degree and they did not. Employers know that people without degrees typically have to be less selective with their opportunities, so they know that most of the time they can pay someone without a degree less. Someone with a degree however they know they typically have to pay more since that person spent a small fortune on their education in order to earn more. Hell, my tuition alone cost about $100K for a Bachelor's degree.

In regards to the Computer Science program, as many here mentioned, and from my personal experience in a Technical University, it will have a strong focus on programming. This is why math is so important. If you enjoy programming then this is probably a good option for you, but if not you are in for a tough ride. I have been working in I.T. all of my life, and it started as a hobby when I was probably 10 years old or younger. I knew quickly on that I hated programming, and I learned just enough to get myself by when I can't find the right tool for a problem. I know enough to build something myself if I have to, or to communicate what I need to someone else to build for me if it is more efficient.

One tip I will give regarding Information Technology is that Information Technology is the business application of technology, or aligning technology strategy with business strategy. This means that an I.T. program is going to be much less technical than something like computer engineering or computer science. In a way, most IT programs sort of expect you to have a good technical knowledge going in, so they focus primarily on the business side of I.T.. In my curriculum I took courses such as IT Project Management, International Project Management, etc. There was a lot of writing involved but I only had to take 3 math classes; Statistics, Math Analysis 1, and Math Analysis 2. MA1 was basically a recap of high school math to me, but MA2 at my school was Calc 1 and 2 compressed into a single semester, so pretty tough. However I have not had any trouble finding work, and I live in one of the toughest job markets in the country (Detroit).

So in conclusion, definitely go to college, and do what suits you the best. A lot of people base their decision on salary reviews and course maps, but never think of what comes after. Think about this. Do you like to work alone, or with people? Do you like dealing with customers? Do you like to travel? Can you handle being on call (very common in IT, not so much in development). Do you want to sit at a desk and write code all day? There are plenty of other questions to ask yourself, but at the end of the day try to picture yourself 10 years from now, and what it would be like based on your choice now. Then pick what you think will make you the happiest.

Good luck!

That is a good write up.

The problem im facing though is, I started programming this summer learning the basics and what not. I didnt have really any computer courses to take in my school which really sucked for me. I like programming its interesting to me and kinda fun, but It sure is confusing at sometimes and im still on basic stuff!

Computer science I will make alot more money with that degree the I.T. and get a better job. Just Its gonna be hard as shit to pass CAL1,2, and 3. If i can get through that Ill be happy, but knowing I took CAL 1 in highschool and failed it isnt the greatest sigh for me to be able to pass CAL 3.

Thats why Im putting I.T. out there. It still ahs things I like to do just it dosent seem like a get as good of a job as computer science. But living in Austin it shouldnt be hard being one of the fastest growing cities in america for everything computer related.

I'm taking college Algebra this semester and I should pass that easy, next semester I'm take College Trig if I can pass that easily great. but I have a feeling I'm going to struggle math and me just suck. so IDk

Math is easy depending on how you look at it. The thing about math is all the rules are already written down. You have a problem and there are certain things you can do, which will lead you to the answer, and certain things you can't do, which you can disregard. Mathematics just requires an understanding of a set of rules and what to do when you encounter an obstacle which requires you to follow a new branch of the rules. An example of this would be similar to taking a test review and knowing exactly how a certain problem works. Then when you get the test, that certain problem now has a fraction in the denominator rather than a whole number. You have to know how to handle this new obstacle (the newly presented fraction) or else you won't be too successful at a lot of math.

Once you have the rules down (what you can do on a certain problem) you won't have a big problem with a lot of math. However, it's learning those rules that can take a while given the large variety of mathematical problems that are present and the number of variables that these problems can contain.

I'm not going to go into a full blown argument about the benefits and drawbacks of college degrees here, but take this into mind..

A company will always look for the cheapest way to work while getting the job done effectively. If I come to them with 6 years of experience, but no degree. I will be cheap, but effective. If I were to come to them with a 6 year degree and no experience, I will be expensive, and they will gamble on whether I am effective or not.

So, initially at least, I will be taking most jobs for a lower pay, but as I go through my degree plan, I am building the same piece of paper you are, but still have years worth of experience on top of it. Now, say we both get the same job, and come promotion time, I have just finished my degree, and have 8 years experience, and you have the same degree with 4 years experience. You can guess which will be the one to be bumped up.

I will laugh as they overwhelm our enemies in a flurry of spotted banana hammocks.

Thats why Im putting I.T. out there. It still ahs things I like to do just it dosent seem like a get as good of a job as computer science. But living in Austin it shouldnt be hard being one of the fastest growing cities in america for everything computer related.

I strongly disagree. CIOs are some of the highest paid individuals in the world. Many have no technical IT experience also, since as I mentioned, IT is not necessary all technical. For example, the CIO at my present job was a project manager, then in sales, then took over managing IT. Additionally, IT is very vast which leaves a lot of options and niches. Keep in mind that technical jobs are the most often outsourced. C++ is C++. Java is Java. It doesn't matter if you speak English or Russian or where you live, the programming language is the same. This is why tons of development is out sourced to countries where the skills are more available and the labor is cheap.

IT on the other hand is more business oriented, and this is one of the reasons that these jobs aren't outsourced as much, because a business needs someone who understands technology and their business to make the decisions to what to outsource and what not to, and how things need to be done. So bottom line is, an IT degree is a Business Technology degree, not a technical degree. It is in a way implied that IT professionals will already have technical skills, or will acquire them through self teaching, training, and experience

A company will always look for the cheapest way to work while getting the job done effectively. If I come to them with 6 years of experience, but no degree. I will be cheap, but effective. If I were to come to them with a 6 year degree and no experience, I will be expensive, and they will gamble on whether I am effective or not.

So, initially at least, I will be taking most jobs for a lower pay, but as I go through my degree plan, I am building the same piece of paper you are, but still have years worth of experience on top of it. Now, say we both get the same job, and come promotion time, I have just finished my degree, and have 8 years experience, and you have the same degree with 4 years experience. You can guess which will be the one to be bumped up.

This is sometimes true, but human resources are the most valuable asset to a company, and successful companies know this. The companies that are solely looking to get the job done for the lowest cost may do well short term, but that practice is not sustainable. Ultimately they will have high turnover which costs tons in training and efficiency, and the quality of their product or service will be inconsistent due to the constant changes.

I understand your point, as I graduated with already 8 years experience as a Systems Admin, so this definitely helped me. I had been the Systems Admin for a small company since I was 15, and continued to work there all through college and after graduation. However, keep in mind that you still have to start somewhere. So prior to you having 6 years experience you were walking into an interview with no experience and no degree. If you are fresh out of college with no experience also you will be better off since you will have a degree which separates you from the others. Additionally, most schools have co-op and internship programs where students can find work either paid or unpaid while they attend classes. This helps them to start building experience while in school, and often leads to a job with the co-op employer after graduation.

Anyhow, this is a very big decision for you so you really need to do a lot of thinking and make the decision yourself. Nobody can tell you what is best for you, but I can tell you that there is a reason that people go to college and spend thousands of dollars on it, and those reasons are why employers seek employees with a college education and often pay them more. As I said before, please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or just want to talk. Technology has been my life for as long as I can remember, and I have been a full time IT professional for 10+ years, and own an IT consulting company on the side. Good luck in everything you do my friend!

Biased opinion here since I am getting my CS degree in a few short weeks. The demand for people with a CS degree/good programmer is absolutely insane, the company I work for is having some difficulty finding people to fill open positions because everyone already has a job.

Do CS if you want to actually do the developing.
Do SE if you want to design the systems/architect
Do IS/IT if you want to work with networks
Do CE if you want to work with hardware / develop

Most importantly while you are an undergrad you will most likely have time to work on your own stuff, so create a github.com account and post up projects that you are working on. Even if you are a freshman, go apply for an internship at Google, Apple, Microsoft, etc... Shoot for the stars in terms of an internship because you'll eventually settle on an offer from an awesome company. Internships do NOT expect you to know everything and write production ready code. Internships are there to mentor you to become a better engineer, to teach you skills you will never learn in the classroom.